It was still dark outside, probably a couple of hours before the sun would rise. As I got out of bed and started getting dressed my wife woke up and asked, “How do you do it?”

“How do I do what?” I responded as I continued getting dressed.

“Get up so early just to workout. Aren’t you tired?” she said.

“Yes, however I have a purpose and that helps me get up early and do what I believe I need to do, even when I am tired.”

“It’s a lot easier to get up in the morning when you have a good reason to.”

After I finished getting dressed I went downstairs to our workout room and did 20 – 30 minutes of yoga and ran just over 3 miles on the treadmill. Very shortly after starting my workout I no longer felt tired. However, I found myself unable to stop thinking about the question my wife had asked me or my response.

Why did I get up so early each morning and what was my purpose? It’s not just to do yoga and run. It goes beyond that. My purpose is to be healthy. But why is that important and why do I have to get up so early to do that?

As I wrestled with all these questions and thoughts in my head I found myself thinking about how I have usually felt, both on the days I got up early to work out and the days I didn’t.

If I slept in and did not workout I typically felt more tired and at times struggled to get much done first thing in the morning, even though I got more sleep. However, when I got up and worked out I was always more energetic, got more things done throughout the first half of the day, and felt great.

“No matter how tired I am I always feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally after an early morning run than I do if I sleep in.”

What I realized that morning is my true reason for getting up so early to workout is based on my desire to be healthy. Because I see the value in how it makes me feel and the impact it has on how I live my life. Especially when I start my day with a good workout first thing in the morning.

When we see results and recognize the value from the activities we spend our time on we will do them with intention and purpose. Whether it is working out, spending quality time with the people we care about, doing our jobs, volunteering in our community, or any other area of our lives.

“Having a strong purpose will motivate us to rise early and be excited to face what the coming day has in store for us.”